Ordinary is Ordinary
by funwithstark
Summary: Gemma Moore saw life as it was: ordinary. To her, life was an endless cycle of simply trying to make ends meet. You work, sleep and wake up to do it all over again. A chance encounter with a certain captain challenges her philosophy of what is considered to be ordinary (12 part-fic).
1. Meet Cute

"Chris, why not?" She asked desperately.

"I'm sorry, Gemma. But I can't do 10 orders of coffee while I have a line of customers behind you." The barista said reluctantly.

"You know that my boss will kill me if I don't get these coffees in by 8:00." She beggged deploringly.

Chris responded with a slight tilt to his lips, " I know, Gem. I'm sorry but I can't. My boss already scolded me because of that huge lineup from before!"

"Chris, I'm sorry but you _know_ that I need this job," Gemma leant in close, "without this job, I won't even get a scolding— I'll just get fired and you know it!"

Chris looked her sympathetically, "Gemma, _I know._ But if I serve your order again with 10 other customers trying to get their morning coffee before 8, then _my_ boss will kill me and then I'll lose _my_ job. You're going to have either wait for the line to pass or find another cafe."

Gemma was ready to fight one last time, quite keen on her keeping her job, until a voice behind her spoke up.

"Hey, I'll get half of whatever she gets."

Gemma instantly turned around to shoot down the strangers request until she saw his face.

The man was tall, built and broad shouldered. He had a clean shaven face that showed his cutting edge jaw line. He was rocking a full head of brown-blonde hair and wore a simple dark, navy blue long sleeve and black jeans. In other words—

The man was fucking gorgeous.

Chris looked as dumbfounded as she did, "Uh-h, sir..."

Chris' stammering broke her out of her weird staring contest with his oddly attractive forearms and decided to shift her gaze to his blue eyes, "Sir, don't worry— you _really_ don't have to do that."

The man gently smiled, "Dont worry, ma'am. Honestly, I don't mind waiting."

Chris finally spoke again, "Sir, that is very generous of you but are you sure?"

She quickly interjected as she could see that the attractive man was about to persist with his request. "Chris, you know what? Just cancel my orders— it's totally fine. I'll go somewhere else."

She gave the guy another thanks, and heard him call for her as she walked to the exit, but she ignored him and walked back outside into the brisk, cold air. She groaned in exasperation, realizing that she was going to have to Yelp another cafe during rush hour.

Gemma waited outside, yelping other locations for about 10 minutes when she heard the front door of the cafe swish open and close. She was so preoccupied with her phone that she didn't feel the towering presence next to her. She looked up and realized that the hot guy was carrying one bag that was carrying three trays of coffee, in one hand and in the other, another tray of coffee.

She looked up from the bag to his eyes and said warily, "Hi?"

The man smirked a bit, "Hey, there. I know you said you'd find another cafe but I saw you standing outside after you left and decided to just buy it anyway." He handed her the bag and she took it wordlessly.

"Why would you buy 10 cups of coffee for a complete stranger?" She asked him. She supposed she should be flattered but in New York, you never know.

"Let's just say I've been in the position of risk before. From the smallest things like needing to buy 10 cups of coffee every morning to putting yourself in the front lines. I get it." He smiled and nodded, as if he expected her to understand.

Even more confused, she shook her head, "Well, at least let me pay you back." She reached for her wallet.

"Honestly, ma'am, don't worry about it. It was good talking to you." The man nodded and walked away with his tray.

Gemma frowned. Front lines? Risk? Why would a stranger, a hot stranger, buy her bosses coffee?

She turned and saw the man walking down the sidewalk and turn on Montague street. She quickly made up her mind, "Hey, sir! Wait!"

She ran down the block and made the right turn. However, her attempts in catching the guy were futile as he seemed to have disappeared as quickly as he appeared behind her at the coffee shop.

Gemma huffed in frustration and looked at her watch. Grateful to have some time to herself, she caught a cab to go to work. In the car, she could not stop thinking about the strange man.

Now, Gemma was no stranger to the movies and books showing romantic "meet cutes" and other such notions. When a man buys a girl a drink, alcoholic or not, it's hard not to read into the lines.

 _"But the way he spoke to me...it doesn't make any sense." She_ thought. " _It almost seemed like he was genuinely just happy to fix the problem."_

Maybe he was just a handy sort of a guy who likes to help others. A "true humatarian." Then again, he could be a complete psycho who thrives off helping women in coffee shops.

She shook her head to rid herself of this morning. _"I'm just going to take it in stride. A hot guy bought your coffee, which saved your job, which saved your life. Be grateful."_

She plastered a smile onto her face as she swiped her ID into the turnstiles and went about the day as usual.

It wasn't until Gemma got home and turned on the news that she saw another Earth invasion—this time, with what seemed to be transformers.

It wasn't until she got into bed, did she realize who exactly bought her coffee and saved her life.

Gemma's eyes were resting softly as she thought about the news coverage on what transpired in South Korea and Sokovia. The footage showed all of the Avengers fighting as the city of Sokovia floated above the ground.

With a shock, her eyes opened wide at her next thought, " _Captain America bought my coffee."_


	2. Let The World Spin

Gemma walked to her coffee shop on Court street, slightly in a daze. She still could not believe that _Captain freaking America_ bought her coffee. It has been a few weeks since their "meet cute" transpired and she was hoping to run into him again.

" _God, what am I thinking?"_ She said to herself, thinking of how the scenario would go down. " _Hey, Captain—Cap. Capitán. Thanks for buying me coffee the other day and so sorry I was such a bitch— I mean, that I was rude. Also, thanks for saving the world from flying alien robots. And the other robots from the day before..."_

Gemma shook her head and scolded herself from her imagination. People like her did not just run into one of the Avengers. Who was she to ever say anything to them—to Captain America?! She was just a girl, born and raised in Brooklyn. Taking her life, as boring and ordinary as it was, day by day.

She continued to walk into the cafe, the familiar bell at the top of the door _dinged_ as she pushed the door open. It was 7 AM and there was already a line starting for the morning rush. Falling into line like the other mindless drones going to work, Gemma stood there, being idle with her thoughts.

Completely out of it, due to lack of sleep and her wandering thoughts, she neglected to hear the door _ding_ as someone entered the cafe. She subconsciously stepped forward as coffee orders were taken and given up ahead.

She felt the person behind her step up as the line shifted. Distantly, she heard a throat clear. She didn't pay it any mind and continued to stare straight ahead. After a minute, she heard another throat clear, purposefully this time. She began to turn her body and look behind her but heard her name being spoken from someone in the front. She straightened and looked towards the register and saw Chris greeting her a _good morning._

"How are you, Chris?" She asked as she gave her order. Luckily, she has been promoted at her job, going from assistant to temp. secretary. Not that big of a bump but she'll take it if that meant getting out of buying 10 cups of coffee every morning.

"I'm alright, Gemma. How you feeling?" Chris asked her. After the transformers incident, although the attack didn't happen on American soil, the damage was felt by all people in New York. Everyone was still recovering from all these other worldly attacks.

"I'm alright. World keeps spinning, I suppose." Gemma grinned humorlessly and stepped aside for the person behind her to order as Chris nodded his agreement.

She was waiting for her order at the end of the bar and after a few moments heard a voice beside her say, "Does it really?"

She turned and saw Captain freaking America. He looked...tired but still put together. She had a weird moment of just seeing him in his whole get up until she realized that he was just wearing causal attire. She stared at him for a while and noticed that he was just staring at her with his eye brows slightly raised.

She shook her head a bit, "Sorry— what was that?"

He gave a slight grin and said, "Does the world really just keep spinning?"

Gemma's mouth opened a few times, as she was at a loss of what to say. How do you respond to Captain America that through all of his stress, tribulations and hard work of trying to save the world, it didn't really matter because the the world just kept _spinning_? As if nothing happened.

" _Gemma, you freaking idiot!"_ She looked down, a bit ashamed. "Sorry, I meant no offense."

He looked taken a back, grin still on his face. "Hey, it's okay. No offense was taken. That's what the world is supposed to do, spin." He didn't discuss it any further but she understood what he was saying.

It was his job to defend and keep the world going. To keep it spinning. As if nothing happened.

She smiled slightly and said quietly, "Still, it wouldn't continue to spin without you guys." His eyes widened a bit and his small grin widened slightly as he tucked his head down a bit, not saying anything.

"My cover is blown, I see." He said to her.

Gemma smiled and said, "It's kinda hard not to notice Captain America taking pity on the girl in a coffee shop and buying her coffee even after she was being super rude to him."

Steve laughed a bit, "You were not being rude. You were being cautious, as everyone should be. But, I will admit that you're slightly off about one thing. I'm not Captain America taking pity on the girl in the coffee shop and buying her coffee for her."

He extended his grin and his hand, "I'm Steve, and a few weeks ago, I saw a pretty girl standing in front of me in a coffee shop and decided to buy her coffee, all in the hopes of getting her to talk to me."

Gemma was taken aback at his unexpected forward ness, _"Captain America is a flirt."_ She thought. She blushed at her next thought, " _Captain— Steve thinks I'm pretty."_

Although still blushing, she extended her hand and said, "I'm Gemma."

He shook her hand, "It's really nice to meet you, Gemma." She smiled back at him and couldn't look away from their eye contact. There seemed to be something in both of their expressions, a spark that seemed to ignite the moment they touched. They both let go, only after Gemma's name was called for her coffee order.

She turned to get her coffee and checked her watch that said _7:30._ She noticed that she had no time to chat with him if she wanted to get to work. Gemma wondered if she even should. She smiled sadly, thinking of what it could be like to date a superhero. " _I'm better off without that kind of stress. I have my job and myself to look after. Maybe it's not such a good idea. Maybe it is for the best."_

She turned back to _Steve and said, "I have to go but...it was really nice to meet you, Steve."_

Steve looked at her and she could tell he was disappointed but not surprised by her reaction and reluctantly smiled, "You too, Gemma."

She smiled deploringly and said bye. She walked towards the front door but stopped before she could pull it open. She couldn't stop thinking about the moment they touched hands. The spark. His deep blue eyes. Unknowingly, Gemma was walking away from a handshake that had the potential to change her life forever.

But she didn't walk away.

Steve was still facing the bar counter, waiting for his coffee. Slightly disappointed that he could not manage to stop Gemma from walking away but accepted the situation for what it was. He knew that times were different but he gave it a try, and he failed. He was being too forward and she wasn't interested.

But, in that moment, he couldn't stop thinking about the moment that they touched hands. The unflinchingly, bright spark that tingled between their touch. Her bright, brown eyes.

He made up his mind and was going to chase after Gemma until he realized that he didn't hear the _ding_ of the door and that the sound of her heels stopped clacking. He paused and turned around to see Gemma holding her coffee by the door, facing him.

Gemma smiled and chuckled, took two steps forward towards Steve. They stood quiet for a second until, "So, how'd you propose a girl ask a cute guy to walk with her 'till she had to go to work?"

Steve's eyes lit up in humor, recognizing their little dance. "Do you have the time?"

Gemma looked at her watch that said _7:45_ and looked back at Steve.

"Eh," she shrugged with a smile. "Let the world spin."


End file.
